RW>> Kinda like putting a European echo name into FastEcho. Their
 RW>> tendency to insert a . between two words doesn't always work out
 RW>> like it should.

 ml> it works fine for echotags... however, not all software creates area
 ml> names based on the tags and not all software can handle long
 ml> filenames...

 RW> FE software uses self-generated numbers to define an area and
 RW> filenames, IF it's an auto-added area.

yes... that formula is FE + CRC16 of the TAG, IIRC but i'd have to go digging
to confirm that...

 RW> That makes it awfully hard to find which directory is which when
 RW> you're wanting to look at msgs, etc...

which is why i always go back with the areas.bbs file and fesetup to rename
and move the messages to the new area name... yes, it is a PITA when there are
several dozen to do... try it with several hundred ;) i've done it and it
takes a lot of time... especially when one has to also reconfigure their
editor (Frontdoor's FM) and their BBS for the new areas...

 RW> I use shortened names to define such directorys. Windows doesn't 
 RW> mind a 20 character directory, but a DOS interface will shorten it 
 RW> back to an 8.3 name and use a tild followed by a number to define 
 RW> the last 9-inf.xxx names. So for convenience of the sysop sake, I 
 RW> still use 8 characters for directorys and 8.3 names for files. 

as we all do who still use software that doesn't know what a long filename is
;)

 ml> FWIW: those dots in the area names have their origination in the
 ml> usenet newsgroups formats...

 RW> That figures.

 ml> the dots were seen as directory separators so there was easy
 ml> conversion... i do it here with my JAMbases but am still limited to
 ml> 8.3 lengths for each of them...

 ml> eg:
 ml> alt.audio.pro                     X:\JAM\GRPS\ALT\AUDIO\PRO
 ml> rec.audio.pro.live-sound          X:\JAM\GRPS\REC\AUDIO\PRO\LIVE-SND
 ml> rec.arts.movies.production.sound
 ml> X:\JAM\GRPS\REC\ARTS\MOVIES\PRODUCTI.ON\SOUND

 RW> I hate that alt.crap.stuff.goes.here format. 

that's the way that FIDO message areas were configured at one time, too...
don't let your aversion of NNTP style namings get in the way ;)

just remember that all it is is directory tree with each dot being the '\' or
'/'... the last one is either a directory fill of "single message per file"
files (akin to MSG) or the last one is a single file with multiple messages in
it...

 RW> Yes, I know that 'special' characters like ~\!,#$%^&*() etc., 
 RW> don't work there.

that depends on the software and the OS...

 ml> MSG areas can also easily use this style...

 RW> I suppose. But that crap's not my style.

over the years, i've found it much nicer to have a directory tree structure
for message storage...

)\/(ark

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